As the Siege
of Petersburg continued the Confederate troops had become dependent on supplies
coming in on the Danville, Richmond and South Side Railroad lines. Union General Ulysses S Grant knew that if those
could be cut, the Confederates would have to abandon Petersburg.
On June 22nd
1864 Grant sent 5,000 cavalry and 16 pieces of artillery under the command of
Union Brigadier Generals James H Wilson and August V Kautz to destroy those
railroad lines. Despite being harassed
by Confederate Major General WHF Rooney Lee, the Union troops were able to
destroy 60 miles of railway over three days.
They reached
the Staunton River Bridge, along which ran the Richmond and Danville Railroad
and was the vital supply line for the Confederates in Petersburg. The bridge was being held by 296 Confederates
under the command of Captain Benjamin L Farinholt. Farinholt had received intelligence warning
him of the Union approach, giving him time to request reinforcements. The extra men; about 640, arrived on the
morning of the battle June 24th 1864. Knowing he was being watched Farinholt
ordered the train station to his south to keep running a train, making it
appear he was receiving a large number of troops. Also helping along this impression was
Mulberry Hill plantation owner Mrs. Nancy McPhail, who informed the Union
commanders that there were 10,000 Confederate troops at the bridge.
At about 4pm
on June 24th the Union troops arrived on the northern side of the
Staunton River Bridge. Kauts had his cavalry dismounted and advanced. They attempted to capture and hold the bridge
long enough to set it on fire, but were quickly repulsed. Other Union men occupied a ditch about 150
yards from the bridge, where they made several charges, sustaining heavy
casualties, gaining no ground. About
sunset WHF Rooney Lee arrived on the scene, attacking Union troops in the
rear. This forced Wilson and Kautz to
retreat.
The next
morning Farinholt advanced into the vacated Union lines. They buried 42 Union dead.
If you would
like to read more about the BATTLE OF STAUNTON RIVER BRIDGE
this is a
good place to start.
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